


what makes night within us may leave stars

by harveydent



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Murder, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2019-11-01 17:00:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17871185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harveydent/pseuds/harveydent
Summary: In just a few months he’d gone from a living nightmare to a waking daydream. Soon he was off to learn magic at Hogwarts. He swore to himself that he would study hard to earn his place, no matter what. He would be one of, if not the very best wizard that passed through those doors.This new start was what Ed needed, to turn over a new leaf. A new, inspiring chapter in a book of pain and misfortune.Destiny was waiting for him and Ed was sprinting towards it.





	1. Chapter 1

One summer evening found a tawny barn owl swooping over the dusky suburban streets. Feathers ruffling in the warm orange rays, the bird angled itself towards an ordinary looking home on an ordinary looking street. But while most houses contained happy families setting the table for supper, this building held another story entirely.

 

A drunken father was stumbling up the stairs, searching for his son who had just turned eleven that very day. He was tall and scrawny for his age, which made him the perfect height for his father’s lazy fists. A fearful mother hid in the kitchen, pretending that everything was fine. Pretending her arm wasn’t tender from the night before. Pretending all the purple around her eyes was just makeup. 

 

The owl sat on the mailbox in the front yard, watching the young boy shimmy down the drainpipe. The second his worn sneakers hit the overgrown grass, an angry guttural scream filled the darkening street. The cacophony of birds and cicadas stopped for a brief second before resuming. The small boy cringed before taking off down the street, impossibly fast. 

 

The tawny owl seemed to shake its head and take off after the boy. He turned down a couple streets and finally stopped to catch his breath in an alley behind the town’s bakery. As he stood there gasping, the owl smoothly landed on the dumpster in front of him. It seemed disgusted to even be touching the filthy thing. 

 

“A-an owl?” The boy gasped, pushing his oversized horn-rimmed glasses up his nose. The bridge was held together with scotch tape so it made a crinkling noise every time the boy scrunched his nose. “What are you doing here?”

 

The owl blinked slowly before extending its left claw, to which a letter was attached. The boy didn’t seem to notice, seemingly transfixed by the bird’s feathers. 

 

“I mean you are supposed to be nocturnal, but the sun is still out. Of course you know all this but I was just reading a journal on how owl’s eyesight works when compared to humans. Did you know that both humans and owls have reached the peak resolution for -“

 

The bird cut him off with an angry squawk and thrust its be-lettered leg forward. The child stopped his info dump and blinked at it. Tied to the owl’s gnarly limb was a crisp, heavy envelope with an address on the front:

 

_Mr. E. Nashton_

_The Closet behind the Furnace_

_16 Pike Road_

_Gotham City_

The boy gasped. “H-how did they know my hiding spot? Not even father knows about it…”

 

He trailed off, his expression unreadable. The owl hooted, growing impatient with the boy’s constant muttering. As he finally took the parchment the owl glared at the small child before taking off. It made a point to rinse its claws in a pond  it passed on the way home, disgusted with its previous perch.

 

The child watched the bird disappear into the fading sunset before tearing into the envelope. 

 

_Dear Mr. Nashton,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Lucius Fox_

_Deputy Headmaster_

As a boy obsessed with puzzles and riddles, Edward Nashton had never had more questions bouncing around in his head. He flipped the paper over, expecting there to be an explanation, or for it to be revealed to be some kind of joke. It would be a cruel prank but not unexpected. People seemed to go out of their way to make the young child’s life miserable. 

 

The rest of the envelope was filled with the strangest list of school supplies Ed had ever seen. His eyes caught on words like ‘wand’, ‘cauldron’, and ’required spell books’. He lowered the pages and stared at the grimy brick of the run down bakery in front of him. How was he supposed to find all this? How was he supposed to pay for it?

 

The joy of being invited to a magical school quickly turned to dread and anxiety. There was no way this was real. And even if it was, Ed couldn’t work out the semantics. He balled up the paper and threw it into the dumpster the owl had been perched on mere minutes prior. 

 

Remembering why he had escaped his house, Ed started towards the public library. He knew the receptionist by name, and she let him stay after hours. Ed couldn’t even count the amount of nights he’d stayed up in the non fiction section with a flashlight, devouring information. He always whispered ‘just one more book before you go back.’

 

Before Ed could push the doors in to the library, he heard an angry hoot behind him. He turned and found the same owl from earlier, glaring at him. 

 

“What?” The boy asked, confused. The bird stuck its leg out again and there was another letter. This time the front said:

 

_Mr. E Nashton_

_The Doors to the Library_

_24 Harrison Road_

_Gotham City_

“Are you following me?” Fear filled Ed’s heart as he thought of someone stalking him. The menacing figure always bore a familiar, paternal shape. 

 

The bird shook its head as if to say  _‘you think I have time for that?’_

 

Ed felt dumb.

 

He reached out and took the letter. Examining the contents, he realized it was exactly the same as the last time. He looked up at the unimpressed owl, who somehow seemed to raise a single eyebrow at him. A magic owl indeed.

 

“Be honest. Is this a joke?” 

 

The bird kept the same deadpan expression. 

 

“You know this isn’t helping me. This is a large life choice, I can’t just change my whole world around because a bird brought me some scrap paper.” Ed grumbled. A man and his daughter walked by and gave him a wide birth, trying to ignore the conversation he was having with a bird. The sun had officially set and the street lamps were turning on, giving the small suburb an almost ethereal glow. 

 

The owl dragged it’s eyes away from Ed’s and looked in the direction of his house as if to say  _’So you want to stay here, then?_ _’_

 

Ed balled up his fists, crumpling the paper. “Absolutely not. Whatever it takes, I’m leaving.”

 

* * *

 

It seemed that ‘whatever it takes’ included stealing what was left of his family’s valuables and pawning it off at the antique store in the Narrows. It was the only place that wouldn’t bat an eye at an 11 year old selling fine jewelry. The only trick was to make sure you left the neighborhood with your pockets intact.

 

The next step was sending a ‘return owl’… whatever that meant. Ed spent a week and a half trying to lure owls to his roof with all kinds of dead rats and candy bars. No such luck.

 

He almost gave up until he spotted the familiar tawny owls perched on a TV antennae on the following Tuesday. When they made eye contact, the bird rolled its eyes and flew down to meet Ed. The boy took a ripped piece of paper with the words  _‘yes please’_ scrawled on it and fastened it to the owl’s leg with a rubber band. The bird glared at its new fixture, then Ed, and then flew off. 

 

Ed stood there to watch it leave but was interrupted by his dad screaming at him to come inside and locate a beer. 

 

_‘Just a couple more months.’_  He whispered to himself as he jogged inside.

 

* * *

 

It was just a couple days before term was supposed to start, and Ed Nygma was panicked. 

 

He had gathered all the money he’d gotten from selling things that weren’t his and had run away from home. He was wandering the streets of the city with the list of school supplies clutched in his hands when he bumped into someone. 

 

“Oh I’m so sorry sir-“ Ed started before stopping. He looked up at the tall man in front of him. 

 

He was very handsome, with kind eyes that seemed to relax Ed’s frayed nerves instantly. The stranger smiled and held out his hand. “My name is Lucius Fox. And you are?”

 

It took Ed a second to remember how to speak. “N-Ed.”

 

“Ned?” The stranger- Lucius said. His eyes danced, as if he knew the answer already.

 

“No, I’m Ed. Just Ed.” The younger boy ground out. He’d decided he hated his last name and the less that knew it, the better. It was a new start, on that his father wouldn’t ruin.

 

“Well okay just Ed, what are you rushing around for with your nose buried in some papers?” Lucius glanced at the parchment in Ed’s hands and stopped. He started to laugh and Ed decided that it was the most beautiful sound in the world. He would do anything to hear it again. “Well would you look at that.”

 

“W-what is it, sir?” 

 

“I wrote these letters. Are you looking for where to get your school supplies?” The taller man grabbed Ed’s shoulders and started leading him down the street. “I can most certainly help with that.”

 

They walked a few blocks and Lucius kept the conversations light yet insightful. Ed could barely speak because of his nerves but his eyes never left the man next to him. Before he knew it, they were standing in front of a dingy bar. A neon fish bone lit up the window. Ed shifted on his feet.

 

“This is Mooney’s. We all forget what it’s really called, so we just call it that.” Lucius winked. “You don’t want to upset the owner.”

 

He led the young boy inside and sultry jazz filled his ears. The club seemed classy, with ambient gold lighting brightening up the plush couches. A long bar stretched down one side of the furthest wall and that was where most of the customers were. Ed took a step towards the bar but was swiftly guided towards a back room. “You’re too young for that.”

 

“But I-“

 

“Nope. You should go as long in you life as you can without meeting Fish Mooney. She’s a bad influence.” Lucius sounded incredibly serious and Ed wanted to see his expression but he was being thrust forward too quickly. 

 

“Lucius! What a surprise.” A sultry voice called out and Lucius cursed.

 

“I was hoping she wouldn’t notice me. Go right ahead, just Ed. That doorway leads to where you can get your school supplies. I’ll see you on September 1st.” 

 

The last thing Ed saw before the door shut swiftly was Lucius’ warm smile and a powerful woman walking up behind him. 

 

* * *

 

The street behind the door was a fantastic amalgamation of chaos and whimsy. Houses leaned 45 degrees to the right, with other houses holding them up. A pet store had a type of greenhouse built into the roof and Ed could see various owls fluttering inside the frosted windows. A magic robe shop contained a dancing scarf in the window. It seemed like a picture out of one of the fairy tales that Ed always walked past in the library back home.

 

It took Ed three hours to get everything on his list. He pulled out a pen and organized his list into the most efficient travel path. Then he strolled up and down the street, acquiring his various possessions. Soon, everything was too heavy for the scrawny eleven year old so he had to take a break to rent a room at the cheapest inn. The owner didn’t seem phased by the young boy. He just took a look at the school letter and offered him a ‘first year discount’. 

 

Even with him counting every cent, Ed still couldn’t afford to buy his own school books. He assumed there would be a library he could make use of at the school, but it was still disheartening. 

 

He also purchased used robes, which he spent the rest of the day patching up with a small sewing kit he’d stolen from his mother. He was used to fixing up broken things, he did it all the time at home.

 

* * *

 

The most exciting acquisition had to be his magic wand. Ed had walked into the wand shop, expecting to find top hats and white rabbits. But instead he found a stuffy, cluttered building filled with dusty shelves. If he hadn’t been standing three feet away from the door, Ed could’ve sworn he had gotten lost in the winding walkways between the boxes. 

 

A peculiar old man approached him. “Yes?”

 

“H-hello. I’m Edw- Ed. Just Ed.” He gulped. “And I’m looking to purchase a wand.”

 

The old man nodded. “I would assume so.”

 

He gestured over to a counter Ed could’ve sworn wasn’t there before and he followed the man. He waved at the boy as if to wait there before disappearing into the shelves. Ed barely had time to wonder if this man had himself gotten lost before he returned with an armful of long, thin packages. 

 

“Lets try this first one. English Oak with dragon heartstring. A loyal wand, for both good times and bad.”

 

Ed held the wand, feeling like an idiot. The man frowned.

 

“Wave it, you simpleton.”

 

Ed opened his mouth to defend himself, but the wand shot out purple flames and caught a bookcase on fire. Ed yelped and threw the wand back on the counter while the old man sighed and pointed his own wand at the flames, which quickly extinguished. 

 

He pulled out another wand, this one much lighter in color.

 

“Laurel with unicorn hair. Hard to be dishonorable or lazy with this one. Maybe it will-“

 

Ed had no sooner touched the wand before it seemed to jump clear across the room, away from him.

 

“Hm.” The man rubbed his chin. “Another, then.”

 

While the man seemed unfazed, Ed was feeling rather embarrassed. He’d already set fire to the shop and caused a wand to run for the hills. What if he wasn’t cut out for this whole magic thing? He decided he’d give it one more go before he would resign to being a homeless youth forever.

 

“Lets try this one,” the old man pulled out a very pale wand. “Hornbeam with dragon heartstring. Very fixated, almost obsessive. Good for committed, powerful individuals.”

 

As the wand was passed into his hands, Ed suddenly felt a surge of power that he had never felt before. It felt like a rush of water was supporting him, churning around his chest. As he looked up, he made eye contact with the old man who was beaming. 

 

“Thats it!! Thats the one!” He laughed.

 

Ed felt laughter bubble out of his chest, feeling more carefree than he’d ever felt in his life. He had a wand! He was a wizard!! 

 

He paid for the wand and rushed back to the inn where his other items were holed up. As he opened the door, he spotted the same tawny owl sitting on the windowsill. 

 

“Now I’m convinced you’re following me.” 

 

The bird didn’t reply, it just held out its customary leg. Ed walked over and removed the envelope. Neat handwriting covered the front:

 

_Sorry I had to leave you. Hope you got everything you needed. I took the liberty to get your train ticket for you, since you seemed so lost._

_See you soon, Lucius_

 

Ed couldn’t stop grinning. Inside the envelope as promised was a shiny ticket for Gotham Station that left the day after next. He smoothed out the ticket before re-reading the small note. Ed tucked it inside his suitcase to save. 

 

Surrounded by all of his new tools of sorcery, Ed collapsed on the inn’s bed. 

 

In just a few months he’d gone from a living nightmare to a waking daydream. Soon he was off to learn magic at Hogwarts. He swore to himself that he would study hard to earn his place, no matter what. He would be one of, if not the very best wizard that passed through those doors. 

 

This new start was what Ed needed, to turn over a new leaf. A new, inspiring chapter in a book of pain and misfortune.

 

Destiny was waiting for him and Ed was sprinting towards it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going through this with the assumption that you guys have at least a familiarity with the Harry Potter universe so I won't be explaining every single thing.   
> (Alyssa I know you've never read the books so if you have any questions just hmu)

In the last couple days before he needed to leave, Ed had snuck into the bookstore and read all of his required texts, including a book on the history of Hogwarts. The castle was bewitched to look like an old abandoned asylum to anyone without magical abilities. It hid on Arkham island in Gotham bay, and was protected by charms that made normal people avoid the area. 

 

On September 1st, the train station was packed with children of varying ages preparing to go to school. Ed pushed a cart down the various walkways, searching for anyone who looked like they were going to a magical academy. But this was easier said than done as no one was wearing anything that screamed ‘I’m a wizard!!’. 

 

Feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated, Ed sat down on a bench and put his head in his hands. He stared at the train ticket in his hand, but the platform number just didn’t make sense. Before he could spiral into a panic attack, a confident voice caught his attention.

 

“Yeah of course there’s no platform 9 3/4 out here. We don’t want muggles wandering into our train.”

 

Ed looked up and saw a slightly overweight boy with long hair strut by. He was walking with a taller, muscular boy with a shaved head. They both looked like they knew what they were doing so Ed sprung up and followed them.

 

“Can they even get through the wall, though? Or would they just get hurt.” The boy with the shaved head asked. The shorter boy groaned.

 

“God, Jim stop worrying about every single person. If they try to go through then yeah they’ll get hurt. But its for their own good.”

 

The boy, Jim frowned. He didn’t seem to agree with his friend. 

 

“Excuse me.” Ed started and the boys stopped to look at him. His cart slammed into the shorter boy’s cart and he yelped.

 

“Watch where you’re going, four eyes!” He glared at Ed who’s ears had turned bright red.

 

“Harvey, be nice. He didn’t mean to.” Jim cautioned his friend before turning towards Ed. “Whats up?”

 

Ed made sure not to make eye contact with Harvey and rubbed the back of his head. “I-I heard you guys talking about platform 9 3/4. I’ve been trying to find it for a while but it isn’t on any of the maps.”

 

Harvey scoffed and Jim glared at him. He turned back to Ed with a smile on his face. “Of course it isn’t on the maps. But we can show you, if you like?”

 

Ed’s face split into a grin and he nodded quickly. His glasses almost slid off his nose but he caught them at the last second. 

 

Jim started walking forward again and Harvey looked betrayed. Ed ignored the look he gave him and tried to catch up to the nicer boy. 

 

“So are you going to Hogwarts too?” Ed started excitedly. “I’ve read all about it. Apparently all of the best wizards in history went there. I can’t believe I’ve spent my whole life living in Gotham and didn’t know there was a magic school here. Isn’t that crazy?”

 

“Of course you didn’t know its a SECRET!” Harvey snapped and Ed froze. 

 

“I’m sorry I’m just excited.” Ed said softly, wringing his hands on the handle of the cart.

 

“Yeah well don’t talk as much then.”

 

Jim pointedly looked away from the two boys next to him and just kept walking forward. It was silent the rest of the way until they reached a brick wall in the back of the station. 

 

“Right here.” Jim said, pointing at it. Ed stared up at the wall, expecting a door to magically appear.

 

 “I don’t have time for this.” Harvey grumbled and he pushed his cart forward, running into the brick wall. Ed lurched forward to help him when he crashed, but the cart and child just disappeared through the brick. 

 

“I’m sorry about him. He doesn’t have a lot of patience for others.” Jim said. He tried to smile at Ed but it just looked like a grimace. 

 

“Thats okay. I’m used to people like him.” Ed said quietly. He fiddled with his glasses and stared at the wall. “So… you just run through?”

Jim nodded. 

 

Ed took a deep breath and pushed his cart forward. He braced himself for impact but none came.

 

One second he was in a slightly crowded train station and the next he was on a completely packed platform. Ed skidded his worn sneakers on the brick walkway, trying to stop his cart before it slammed into a group of women in front of him. They barely looked his way.

 

Jim quickly appeared behind Ed and slapped his back proudly. “Good job, kid!”

 

Ed smiled up at him. “Thanks Jim.”

 

The boy frowned slightly. “Did I already introduce myself?”

 

“No,” Ed quickly said, feeling embarrassed again. “But I heard the other boy, Harvey call you that. Sorry if I made any assumptions I just-“

 

“It’s fine.” Jim cut him off. He stuck out his hand. “My name is Jim Gordon. My impatient friend there was Harvey Bullock. We’re first years, and it looks like you are too.”

 

Ed carefully shook his hand. “Yeah this is my first year. I’m Ed, nice to meet you.”

 

The boys smiled at each other but were interrupted by Harvey calling Jim’s name. “I need to go, but it was nice meeting you Ed.”

 

“Nice meeting you too, Jim.”

 

Ed watched the other boy rush off and meet up with Harvey. They got into a whispered argument and Harvey looked back at Ed more than he felt comfortable with. 

 

Steam started pouring out of the train’s engine and a loud whistle went off. Ed scrambled to get his suitcase and bag onto the train. He found an empty train compartment near the back and collapsed onto a seat by the window.

 

Through the glass he watched as kids said goodbye to their parents. A slight jealous twinge in his chest made Ed shift uncomfortably. As much as he wished he had someone to say goodbye to, he was grateful his family wasn’t actually there. He wasn’t even sure if they’d noticed that he’d been gone for over a week. 

 

The door to the compartment slid open with a loud thud that made Ed jump and he swiveled around.

 

“Is anyone sitting here?” A girl asked. She had a short black bob that framed a soft, warm face. “We’ve been looking all over but everyone else is so loud.”

 

Ed shook his head quickly and the girl smiled. “Thank you so much.”

She walked in and put her suitcase up above the seats and helped her friend with her bag. The other girl had long red hair that was pulled up in a ponytail and a pair of horn rimmed glasses. Ed immediately sat up a little straighter when he saw her, his heart thudding loudly.

 

The first girl sat across from Ed and let out a breath. “I’m Lee Thompkins and this is my friend Kristen Kringle.”

 

The other girl, Kristen waved as she sat next to Lee. A grin crept onto Ed’s face. “What a funny name.”

 

Kristen looked unimpressed and crossed her legs. “You could say that.”

 

Lee hid a smile behind her hand and looked out at the platform. Kristen pulled out a book to read and Ed stared out the window with Lee. 

The train lurched forward and soon the station turned to the walls of the underground tunnel. The book Ed had read about the history of Hogwarts said that the train lead underneath the city and the water surrounding Arkham island. 

 

Lights flickered on inside the compartment and a couple minutes later an old woman rapped on the window with her knuckles. Kristen leaned over and opened the door to reveal a candy trolley.

 

“Anything for you dears?” The woman asked brightly. Lee and Kristen both dug in their pockets while Ed stared at the floor. He’d spent the last of his money on the bus ticket to get to the train station. His stomach gurgled.

 

After the concessions woman left, Lee tossed a bag of chocolate covered pretzels into Ed’s lap. He opened his mouth to refuse but she spoke over him. 

 

“I think I bought too many snacks, there’s no way I can finish them all by myself. Would you mind?” 

 

She smiled at him and he smiled back. Kristen passed him a water bottle but didn’t make eye contact with him. She was still nose deep in her book. 

 

“Thank you.” Ed said shyly. 

 

The rest of the train ride was filled with Lee and Ed talking excitedly about potential classes, and Kristen gave her input every one in a while. 

Ed learned that the two girls had grown up in the same neighborhood together and were best friends. They’d been absolutely thrilled to find out the other was going to the same school, since they hadn’t been apart for over a couple weeks in their whole lives. 

 

Lee did most of the talking as Kristen was committed to the book she was reading, which Ed found out was a psychology book. He was impressed and wanted to learn more about her but she didn’t seem very interested in talking to him. 

 

Before long, the train began to slow down and finally went above ground. It pulled into a station built off the closed section of road that connected the island to the mainland. Ed had his nose pressed up to the glass, staring at the castle in front of him.

 

Its tall towers rivaled the skyscrapers on the mainland, and Ed could see crowds of birds resting on the ridges of the roof. The sun was starting to set, so all of the windows seemed to glow as brightly as the sun behind them. 

 

The students filed out of the train with their bags and were directed to the gravel pathway leading towards the giant structure. It felt like a river of children, pushing forwards into the giant wooden doors of the entry hall. A man stood just inside the doorway calling “First years, gather over here please.”

 

Ed grinned and rushed over to the man. “Lucius!”

 

“Why hello, just Ed. Glad you made it.” His smile was just as blinding as Ed remembered it. They shook hands and Lucius turned back towards the throng of people. 

 

Lee waved Ed over and he stood next to her. Kristen was a few feet away, talking to a tall boy Ed had never seen before. The group of first years grew a little larger, and Ed spotted Jim and Harvey standing in front. 

 

Once everyone was inside the school and the doors shut, Lucius turned to face the crowd of eleven year olds. 

 

“Hello everyone! My name is Lucius Fox, I’m the deputy headmaster and the head of Hufflepuff house. In just a few minutes we’re going to bring you into the great hall and sort you into the different houses. The houses will be like your family, helping you through your time here at Hogwarts.”

 

There was a murmuring coming from behind the door to the great hall and it sounded like hundreds of people talking at once. Ed wrung his hands nervously. He never did well with crowds. Before he could overthink things, the doors opened and Lucius lead them into the room.

 

It was a long, open hall with four large tables down the center. Each table was filled with roughly seventy kids of varying ages between twelve and seventeen. They all stared at the group of first years who were filing down the center aisle towards the large table at the end of the room. Various adults sat behind the table and Ed heard Jim whisper something about a staff table. 

 

A small stool sat in front of the adults and upon it sat an old, worn hat. Lucius picked it up and turned to the now silent hall.

 

“This is the sorting hat. After it is placed upon your head, it will look into your mind and decide what house you will most succeed in. The four houses are Gryffindor for the brave, Ravenclaw for the wise, Hufflepuff for the loyal, and Slytherin for the ambitious. Once it calls out your house, you are to sit with your new house at their assigned table. Any questions?”

 

No hands were raised so Lucius pulled up a list of names and started reading them off. 

 

“Harvey Bullock?”

 

The boy Ed had met on the train station climbed up to the stool and sat down. When the hat was placed on his head there was a beat before it croaked out “Gryffindor!”

 

The red table by the windows cheered loudly and Harvey sauntered over. He gave Jim a high five as he passed.

 

“Jonathan Crane?”

 

The tall skinny boy Kristen had been talking to carefully approached the stool. He seemed slightly uncomfortable as the hat was placed on him but it was swiftly pulled off as it yelled “Slytherin!”

 

The green table closest to the wall screamed and Jonathan went to go sit down.

 

And so went the next couple people. Jim was sorted into Gryffindor who cheered especially loud for him. Kristen was sorted into Hufflepuff and she looked pleased. A few more people were sorted but Ed didn’t really pay attention to them. He was especially nervous for wherever he was going to be placed. 

 

Suddenly it was his turn. 

 

“Edward Nashton?”

 

Even Lucius’ calm voice didn’t help Ed’s nerves as he walked up to the stool. He felt the entire room’s eyes follow him as he sat down. The hat was placed on his head and he had the unpleasant sensation of someone ruffling his hair. 

 

_‘Hmm difficult case.’_ A voice whispered in his ear. Ed spun around expecting to see someone behind him, but it was just the table of teachers. _’No its just me.’_

 

“The hat?”

 

_‘Who else would it be? Now… I can see you going in either Ravenclaw or Slytherin.’_ The voice seemed to be leading Ed to answer whichever he preferred. 

 

“The wise one.” Ed whispered to the hat. “I want to be in the smart one.”

 

_‘But you would do so well in Slytherin… I see a future for you there.’_ The hat laughed softly. Ed shook his head aggressively. _‘Very well, if you’re certain. But remember what I said.’_

 

“Ravenclaw!” The hat shouted and was removed from Ed’s head.

 

The blue table shouted loudly and Ed went to go sit with them. A bunch of people congratulated and welcomed him to the house. Ed couldn’t stop smiling. The hat had listened to him. 

 

The rest of the sorting went rather quickly. Lee was placed in Gryffindor and seemed unimpressed with Jim, who she sat next to. A rather unkempt boy named Jervis Tetch was placed in Hufflepuff and he seemed upset that his sister Alice was placed in Gryffindor away from him.

The bald man at the center of the staff table stood up.

 

“Hello children. For those who don’t know, I’m Hugo Strange and I’m the head master of Hogwarts. Welcome to a new year where we can celebrate the ongoing experiment of educating children in the ways of the arcane and-“

 

Ed tuned him out, instead focusing on the school itself. 

 

He was finally here, a place where he can start over and become someone. Someone who is respected and doesn’t get beat up just for existing. Someone with a future to believe in and strive for! 

 

Ed could hardly wait to get started. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how obvious it is, but I didn't want this to be a complete rip off of the Harry Potter books. I wanted to change certain aspects, like turning the leaky cauldron into Mooney's or putting Hogwarts on Arkham island. I just don't really see any of these characters in Britain, so it made more sense for Hogwarts to be in Gotham. does that make sense? hopefully. 
> 
> Let me know what you think! Although I know I'll probably piss off some people with the houses I assign some characters to. But you know what they say, you need to break a couple eggs to make an omelette.


	3. Five Years Later

As students filed into the near empty classroom, an observer would notice that they subconsciously gave the front row a wide berth. A lone student sat directly in front of where the teacher would stand during a lecture. Edward Nygma had his quill and parchment already unpacked, almost as if he’d been there for quite some time. 

 

The office door at the front of the lecture hall opened and out strode a tall, muscular man. His black hair was smoothed back in an almost perfect fashion.

 

“Hello everyone,” the man spoke confidently, not even looking up from the scroll he was reading. “Welcome back to another year, I hope your summers went well.”

 

Ed seemed to flinch as though his memories were physically painful. He had not had a good summer at all.

 

“Now, seeing as this is your sixth year we’re mainly focusing on beefing up your skills for next year when you take your N.E.W.T.s.” 

 

The class groaned and one brave soul raised his hand.

 

“Yes, Harvey?”

 

“Professor Dent,” Ed didn’t look back even though Harvey Bullock was standing right behind him. “We just finished our O.W.L.s a couple months ago. Don’t we get a little break?”

 

The students chuckled but Professor Dent didn’t seem as impressed. 

 

“You just got off break. Lasted a whole season, if I’m not wrong.” More chuckles. “Now sit down, Bullock.”

 

Ed grinned but felt his chair shift as it was kicked. 

 

“What’re you smiling about, you fucking creep?” Bullock hissed and Ed shrunk in on himself. 

 

The lecture officially started as Professor Harvey Dent went over his syllabus for the year and outlining the specific charms they would be going over. Ed hunched over his parchment writing everything down. The rest of the class seemed bored and in the back row Jervis Tetch had fallen asleep. 

 

As the hour passed, Ed’s mind drifted towards a familiar figure: Kristen Kringle. 

 

Over the years, she’d grown up to be the most beautiful woman Ed had ever seen. He was in love with her and followed her around the school. She brushed him off most of the time but he was happy just being near her. 

 

But recently she’d started dating a hulking Gryffindor named Tom. Ed had walked in on Kristen crying to Lee about how Tom treated her. Before he could react though, Kristen had thrown a book at his head and almost broken his glasses. 

 

So the new problem was one Tom Doughertey, who Ed needed to get out of the picture. And he had a plan. 

 

The clock tower chimed, marking the end of the class period and Ed was swiftly packing up all of his belongings. Some of the ink was still drying but he put it in his bag anyways. He could always clean it up later with a spell. 

 

“Where are you going so fast, Nygma. Got a date?” Bullock laughed but for once Ed didn’t hear him. 

 

The distance from the 2nd floor charms classroom to the highest tower in Hogwarts was very far and Ed was gasping for breath as he reached the top of the staircase. 

 

He put his bag down and tried to control his breathing. After a few minutes he was calm enough to walk through the door and into the large observatory. 

 

It was empty, except for a lone figure standing by the edge of the balcony on the far end of the room. Ed briskly strode across the room, hoping to get close before the boy spun around. He failed.

 

“Riddle man! What the hell are you doing, creeping around here?” Tom Doughertey called out incredulously. His hands rested on his hips as if waiting for an explanation. 

 

“You need to leave Ms. Kringle alone.” Ed said angrily. He’d had this whole thing planned out but his emotions were quickly threatening to ruin his script.

 

“What?” The Gryffindor seemed surprised. He was expecting Kristen, the note he held in his hand said to meet her up here. It crinkled as Tom clenched his fist. 

 

“I’m not gonna let you hurt her. Ever again.” Ed ground out, stopping a couple feet away from Tom. The other boy looked pensive. “I think you need to leave school. Tonight.” 

 

“I get it now. You’ve got a thing for my girl.” Tom laughs. Ed takes a step back, severely underestimating the Gryffindor’s deductive reasoning. “Thats too funny. Don’t take this personal.”

 

Tom swept forward and punched Ed square in the stomach. The Ravenclaw fell over, clutching his abdomen. Tom pulled him back up and threw in a couple more blows for wasting this time.

 

“You want some more?”

 

Something seems to click in Ed’s brain and his body acts without his permission. The smaller boy jumps up and pushes Tom backwards. But he doesn’t stop. He keeps pressing forward until the back of Tom’s legs hit the balcony looking over the whole castle. 

 

He barely hast time to let out an incredulous “Riddle man?” Before he’s tumbling over the parapet. 

 

Ed stands still, watching until the boy’s body crumples in the courtyard below. Students’ screams are so loud he can hear them from way up the tower. He steps away from the ledge so no one can see him if they looked up. 

 

“Oh dear."

 

The weight of what happens hits Ed like a bag of bricks. Before he can break down, the same energy seems to take over his body and removes all evidence that he was there. A quick scribble on some scratch paper about the pressures of upcoming exams and a bad home life was left near the balcony to help sell a separate story. 

 

Just as Ed gets down the tower stairs, a collection of teachers rush past him towards the astronomy room. He makes eye contact with Lucius Fox who almost stops but is pushed forwards by the other professors. 

 

That second of eye contact with the man who had been so kind to him brought the waves of guilt rushing back. It was suddenly hard to breathe and Ed crashed through the closest door. 

 

Inside was an empty classroom and an open window. Ed rushed over and gulped down the crisp, fresh air. There was a faint ringing in his ears and he couldn’t stop seeing Tom’s face as he fell backwards down down until he became a stain on the cobblestone below. 

 

A voice whispered that the boy had deserved it, but Ed shook his head violently. 

 

“At least now Kristen is safe.” He whispered, clutching his arms to his chest. He would go see her as soon as he calmed down. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I just rewatched the first ep of Game of Thrones? lol

**Author's Note:**

> what's up party people!! yeah your eyeballs didn't lie, this is fully a Harry Potter au in the year of our robin lord taylor 2019. 
> 
> fyi my fave character so far is this sassy owl


End file.
